Wildcat Fever
by VanessaAnnex3
Summary: Season One: East High School is filled with drama, relationships, and betrayal. There's no way to escape the fear, the intensity, and the love that occurs each day. You just simply have to survive the fever.
1. The Beginning

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Summary: East High School is filled with drama, relationships, and betrayal. There's no way to escape the fear, the intensity, and the love that occurs each day. You just simply have to survive the fever._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_The Beginning_

He could see it now in his head. The crowd would be cheering just for him. They would be shouting his name and singing the Wildcat theme song. They would all be dressed in red, white, and gold. Some might even wear those ridiculous cat ears. He'd never be caught dead in those, no matter how much he loved being a Wildcat. The ball would always be passed to him at every opportunity. His coach, aka his dad, would be giving him praise for once in his career.

But, that was a long shot from the reality he was now facing.

"Troy, what are you doing?! Go left! Left!"

Troy Bolton, only a beginning junior at East High, was already working a sweat on the court. It wasn't even time for the first basketball game, but it was close. Obviously, he was on the team and he was voted captain. His father must have persuaded the other guys heavily about it. Not that he minded, though. Troy loved being captain. He loved the popularity and the attention that he got. He loved getting so much slack from the principal and his teammates. They worshiped him. They wanted him to do well and win for the school. He was the king and it felt good.

Most of the time.

He took a pause at the red line on the court and bent over, placing his hands on his knees. He felt like coughing up blood. He was sore and hot. His wavy, brown hair was sticking to his neck and forehead. His tan skin was glistening with sweat and he nearly had tears coming out of his blue eyes. His vision was blurring from all the sprints he was doing. It had to be about forty, right?

"Let's go, Troy!"

He sighed heavily and turned around to face his father. His hair was still in its perfect, black coif. There wasn't a sign of sweat on his skin. His khakis and white polo were wrinkle-free and his brown shoes were exceptionally shiny. Even throughout all the anger, screaming, and frustration, his dad managed to stay perfect.

"Come on, Dad. Give me a break," breathed out Troy.

His father, Jack, walked over to him with a pointed and surprised look. "Excuse me? Do you think those college scouts this year are going to allow you to have a break?"

He sighed in annoyance. "No, but…"

"Exactly!" Jack pointed his clipboard at his son. "You have to work your ass off for those scouts. They are going to be looking at you all this season and next season. You have to make an impression."

"I know that, but…"

"Troy, how many times have I been training you this summer?" asked Jack.

Troy sighed again. "Too many times to count."

"And, how many colleges are we looking at?"

Troy paused. "Just one. U of A."

Jack smiled. "Exactly. Picture it, Troy. Your number on a locker, your number and _name _on a jersey, your name and _legacy _living on."

Troy pictured it in his mind and suddenly began to smile, loving the picture that was created. He looked back at his dad and nodded. He was right. This was the American dream for him. This is what Troy deserved. He would make history and he would become a legacy for the rest of time. He would be known for something. Basketball.

"That's what I'm talking about." He then blew his whistle. "Again! Sprints!"

* * *

She looked up at the two story, white brick house while holding her box of sheets and quilts. Her eyebrows were furrowed with worry as she chewed on her bottom lip nervously. She felt a presence next to her and looked over, seeing her mother smiling up at the house.

"What do you think, dear?" she asked.

"Momma, it's so big."

"I know, Gabriella. It's a fresh start, though." Her mother sighed. "We won't have to be around so much negativity. We can start anew."

"Excuse me? Miss Montez, where do you want this couch?" asked a man. He was holding one end of a leather couch while another man was holding the other end.

Miss Montez gestured toward the house. "Just follow me boys."

Gabriella watched her mom lead the moving men into the house. She sighed and lugged her box into the house and up the stairs. She walked into a white carpeted bedroom with white walls and gold trim at the edge. Her bed was already set up in the very center with its large bed posts and canopy overhead. Her oak dresser was directly facing it on the other side with a vanity mirror overhead. Her plasma was placed on the ground next to her white chest drawer. She set her box down and looked around, noticing that she had a balcony. She opened the doors and welcomed the fresh breeze through the large tree. She leaned against the railing and admired her surroundings.

"Maybe she is right. This can be a fresh start," she told herself.

She noticed another house across the lawn that was a wide and tall brick house. There was a large bay window that looked like it housed another bedroom inside. There was a basketball court directly next to it in the backyard. Obviously, another teenager lived there. She wondered who it might be and if she would be able to make a friend in this town. Albuquerque was going to be so much more different than San Diego. She would miss the beach, for sure. She was mostly worried about starting another school. She always had trouble fitting in. She was either too smart, too plump, or too weird. It was always hard for her to make friends. Nobody was ever interested.

She hoped that this city would be different.

* * *

Jack and Troy walked into their house after doing at least 20 more sprints in the gym. They talked more about college and the upcoming season, deciding ultimately what plans they should make for the season and next year. They ran into Lucille, Troy's son and Jack's wife. She was flipping through a cookbook when she looked up and grinned at her family.

"Hey, boys. How was practice?" she asked.

"Troy still needs work," said Jack, slapping his son on the shoulder.

Troy winced at the hard contact, but smiled at his mom. "I think we have the season in the bag already."

She smiled and kissed Troy on the cheek. "That's my boy." She turned to Jack. "Jack, there is a leak in the bathroom again."

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Better go grab my toolbox."

Troy watched his dad leave before looking at his mom. "What's for dinner?"

Lucille shrugged. "I don't know yet. I'm flipping through chicken, pasta, and steak."

"Why don't we go out to eat tonight? I've been dying to try those burgers at the new restaurant downtown," suggested Troy.

"Great idea, sweetie!" Lucille spotted Jack exiting the basement with his utility box. "Jack, why don't we go for burgers tonight? Troy suggested it."

"No time, honey. Troy and I need to practice more tonight. Just whip us up something decent, okay?" Jack quickly exited the room and slammed the door to the bathroom.

Lucille sighed and continued flipping through her book. Troy simply looked at her solemnly before heading off towards his room down the hall. He tossed his gym bag on the ground and stripped off his sweaty clothes. After changing into a pair of clean shorts and a Wildcat shirt, he ventured towards his bedroom window. He stared at the basketball goal and shook his head. He loved basketball. No doubt about that. He just got tired of the pressure from his father. It never stopped. Do this better, do that better. It was almost like Troy could never win with his father. It didn't matter how many trophies he got. He couldn't win his father's love.

He looked away from the court to notice a moving truck next door. He furrowed his eyebrows curiously when he noticed a girl about his age carrying three boxes at once. Deciding to be the better person, he exited his room and left his house, earning a glance from his mom. He strode over to the new family and immediately grinned when the girl came into full view.

She was very beautiful with long, black hair with messy curls. She had an amazing curvy body with a perfect tan. It showed how much she loved being in the sun. When she turned to acknowledge his presence in surprise, he memorized her brown eyes that were insanely gorgeous.

"Hi!" He noticed an older woman, obviously her mother, approach him. "I'm Troy."

She accepted his handshake warmly. "Hello, Troy. I'm Maria Montez." She gestured to her daughter. "This is Gabriella, my daughter."

Troy smiled at Gabriella, holding out his hand. "Hey. Nice to meet you."

Gabriella shyly shook his hand around the three boxes she was carrying, smiling. "Hi." She looked at her mom. "These are really heavy."

"Oh! Let me help you, there." Troy grabbed all three boxes with ease, walking toward the house. "Where to?"

Gabriella admired his muscles and smiled, impressed. "My bedroom." She followed him hastily.

Troy entered her bedroom and admired the decoration of the walls and the spacious setting. "Nice."

"Thanks." Gabriella crossed her arms over her chest. There was a boy in her room and it was barely the first day. What was she to do now? "Is that your house next door?" Stupid question.

Troy set the boxes down and nodded. "Yeah." He walked out onto the balcony and chuckled. "You have a balcony. Lucky. My room is that one down there."

Gabriella stood next to him, noticing the room he was pointing at. It was the room she had noticed that was next to the basketball court. So, he could see her at anytime in her own bedroom. She looked warily at him and then at her curtains. He must have noticed her wariness.

He laughed. "Don't worry. I won't be a peeping tom."

She smiled and rubbed her arm self-consciously. "So, how old are you?"

"Sixteen. You?"

"Same," she murmured.

Troy nodded and looked down at his hands, chewing on his bottom lip. It felt nice to have a normal conversation with somebody other than his dad. "What school are you going to this year?"

"East High? I go there tomorrow. I'm a junior," she said.

Troy smiled. "Hey! Me too! If you ever need help with anything, you can just come to me."

"Why? I mean, you don't know me. I don't know you. Why would you want to help me?" asked Gabriella. It was weird to have somebody else, especially a boy, interested in her for any reason at all. It was strange.

Troy shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm a nice guy. I'd be happy to be your first friend." When he noticed her long pause, he tried one more time to convince her. "I promise I don't bite."

Gabriella giggled automatically, shaking her head. It made Troy laugh, too. He was elated with her smile. She looked up at him and nodded. "Sure. Thanks…Troy."

Troy suddenly felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, inwardly groaning at the caller ID. It was his needy and snobby girlfriend, Sharpay. After a year, he still didn't know why he put up with her. Though, she was the head cheerleader. And, she was hot. He put away his cell phone and smiled at Gabriella. "I have to go. See you tomorrow?"

Gabriella nodded, having not noticed the caller ID of his phone. "Yeah. Definitely. Thanks for helping me."

"No problem." He gave her a subtle nod before smiling and leaving her house.

* * *

The mall in Albuquerque wasn't a big one, but it was big enough to be the top hangout for students, little kids with their parents, and couples of all ages. It had the name brand shops that teenagers loved and stores that fit a person's personality. There were many restaurants in the food court and next door to the mall, as well. It was initially the only place to go during the summer.

Taylor McKessie was a girl that didn't have many friends. She didn't have a best friend and she didn't have a boyfriend. She was considered a loner, ever since she was a freshman. She had been betrayed and she never wanted to feel that betrayal again. So, she cut certain people out of her life.

One of these people was in her eyesight at that moment, flirting and practically throwing herself over the college boys that were ogling her like schoolboys.

"Oh, hey Taylor!"

Taylor had hoped she wouldn't see her, but that failed badly. She faked a smile and looked at the blonde. "Hi, Sharpay. Shouldn't you be at the pound?" she asked, referencing how her name sounded like a dog breed.

Sharpay scoffed. "Really? Shouldn't you be in some guy's bed?"

Taylor quickly walked off, leaving Sharpay to laugh with the guys over something that really didn't matter to the boys. Obviously, the only thing they cared about were her looks.

* * *

"Chad! You have plenty of time to shoot that basketball in the hoop. Come inside and spend time with your family!" exclaimed Mrs. Danforth.

Chad stopped jumping in front of the basketball hoop and looked over at his mom, his afro curls nearly sticking to his head in a frizz. "Mom, come on. I need to get better for this season."

"You will be better. You've been on the team since you started high school," she said, walking over to him.

"You don't get it, mom. It's my junior year. I need to be better than what I was before," said Chad, running back and forth while dribbling the basketball in his hands.

His mother watched him. "Your father is going to be home soon. Dinner will be ready by then."

"I know," said Chad, still running and dribbling.

His mother paused. "Well, don't you want to go inside and shower before dinner?"

"No time. I need to impress the coach. He is bringing scouts this year," explained Chad.

"Oh! Jack? How is his family? Isn't Troy on your team?" asked his mother, smiling. She had known the family for years.

Chad stopped and glared. "Never mention his name. He is just some mediocre player that is in my way for the scholarship to U of A. I'll be damned if he gets it."

"Chad, language." His mother sighed. "Just be in by five."

She got no answer as he continued running and dribbling. She shook her head and walked back inside the house to prepare for dinner.

* * *

Jack Bolton wiped his hands on a rag after fixing the leak in the bathroom. He sighed and tossed it back on the counter. "Where's Troy?"

Lucille looked up from cleaning the counter. "He went over next door."

"What for?" asked Jack. He walked to the window and furrowed his eyebrows, seeing Troy talking to an older woman animatedly. "Who is that?"

"Maria Montez, I believe. A few of the board members from town were talking about new neighbors coming in." Lucille smiled knowingly. "You know, she has a daughter Troy's age."

"Is that so?" asked Jack. He watched as Troy walked in at that moment with a smile on his face. "Troy, what do you think you are doing?"

Troy's smile dropped when he heard his father's tone. "What?"

"Your mother tells me there is a girl next door?" he asked.

"So? She's nice. I wanted to introduce myself," shrugged Troy. "We just talked. I don't know her that much."

"And, you won't get to know her. You need to focus on basketball. Nothing else," said Jack.

Troy sighed as he watched his father walk away into the den, shutting the door behind him. He looked at his mom, who simply shook her head.

"Don't listen to your father," she said.

"You know it's hard to bypass his orders, mom."

* * *

Gabriella brought in the last box and sighed, setting it down on the kitchen island. It was obviously dishes as she glanced inside at the china. She rolled her eyes and stretched her arms. She had been carrying in boxes all day and it was truly exhausting.

Her mind was brought back to Troy. She didn't expect to have a neighbor, especially a cute one. Though, she barely knew him. He was obviously a jock, too. She wasn't his type.

"Gabriella, what did you and that boy talk about?" asked Maria.

"Troy?" Gabriella turned to face her mom. "Nothing really. We just got to know each other. He's in my grade at East High."

"Oh, that's good. Just remember you can have other friends, too." Maria smiled at her daughter.

Gabriella nodded. "I know."

She watched her mother leave into the living room and sighed, secretly smiling at the thought of Troy.

* * *

Gabriella walked around the park later that afternoon after unpacking a few of her boxes. Yet, she had to take a break. She wanted to explore the town more. She had normally been at beaches or small towns. Albuquerque was different. It was more of a metropolitan area than anything. It had tall buildings, fancy houses, a ton of restaurants, and a mall. She had found the park, though, after simply walking on her own sidewalk. It wasn't that far, either.

Suddenly, a thump hit her foot. She looked down to see a basketball hit her shoe. She picked it up and bounced it up and down in her hands. She was surprised, when she looked up, to see Troy. Yet, she immediately smiled.

"Hey! Are you secretly following me?" she asked playfully.

Troy chuckled. "No. I just got here, actually." He eyed the basketball. "I hope you're not planning to steal that. Unless, you want to play?"

Gabriella shook her head quickly. "No way. I'm totally uncoordinated." She handed him the ball. She watched as he spun it on his finger. "Obviously, you aren't."

He shook his head and pretended to pop his collar. "Absolutely not. I'm a boss."

"Really? It's like that?" giggled Gabriella, shaking her head. "Someone's cocky."

Troy laughed and shook his head. "No, no. I'm totally laid back, if you believe it."

"I might," said Gabriella, smiling.

"Oh yeah?" Troy got closer to her, still smiling. She was so pretty.

Gabriella blushed at his closeness, but grinned. He was really cute.

"Troy!" They looked to see an older version of Troy approach them. He smiled at Gabriella. "Hi! Who is this?"

Troy looked at his dad strangely. "Gabriella. She's our new neighbor."

"Hello, Gabriella. I'm Jack, Troy's father." He shook her hand, still smiling.

Gabriella could tell there was something off about his nice demeanor. He wasn't truly nice, like Troy. She could see the difference. "Hi, Jack. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm sorry, but my son and I need to get back to basketball. But, I suppose we will see you tomorrow at school?" he asked.

Gabriella simply nodded.

Troy smiled at Gabriella, wishing his dad wasn't around. "Bye."

"Bye," said Gabriella, waving before leaving.

Jack turned Troy around as they walked back to the court. He sighed and frowned. "Away from the court for a full five minutes. That's why you don't need to lose your focus."

* * *

Later that night, Troy got ready for bed after his third workout for the day. His muscles were sore and he was plain exhausted. Yet, he didn't exactly want to go to sleep. He wanted to stay up to see if she was still awake.

Confirming his suspicions, he looked out his window and saw Gabriella reading on her balcony. All the other lights in her house were off, so he figured that her mother was asleep. Thinking on the edge, he slipped on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt with a pair of flip flops. He climbed out of his window and strutted over to her backyard, standing directly below her balcony.

He cleared his throat and held out his arms. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, your knight in shining armor is here. So, put down that book and let me up without any fear."

Gabriella looked over the railing and laughed quietly. "How cheesy."

Troy chuckled and looked at the tree by her balcony. "Stand back."

Gabriella watched as he skillfully climbed the tree and landed on her balcony. "Wow. You're Tarzan, too?"

"No loincloth, sorry." Troy snickered at her blush. "What are you reading?"

"Wuthering Heights," she said.

"You do know school isn't until tomorrow, right?" he asked, picking up the book. He kept her place and rifled through the pages.

"I do know that. I just like to read for fun," she explained.

Troy nodded. "I get it. I like smart girls. They can help me with my homework."

"So, you have other smart girls?" teased Gabriella.

He shook his head and smiled at her. "You can be the first."

Gabriella secretly liked that. She cleared her throat and walked over to the balcony railing. "So, how far away is the school from here?"

"It's about thirteen minutes," he said, standing next to her. "Do you have a car?"

"Sadly, no. I am broke," she giggled lightly.

"Oh. Well, I could drive you tomorrow. If you like," he said.

Gabriella looked at him and shrugged. "I don't know. My mom probably won't like it."

"What makes you say that?" he asked curiously.

"She wouldn't let me in some stranger's car," said Gabriella, smiling apologetically.

Troy chuckled. "I'm barely a stranger. I practically had an entire conversation with her when I left the house."

"You had a conversation with my mom?" giggled Gabriella. Who was this guy?

"Yeah! We talked about the school, the town, and other stuff. She's really nice." He paused playfully. "In fact, she already said yes to me driving you to school."

Gabriella scoffed. "Troy! You didn't need to do that."

Troy looked at her and smiled. She had the most beautiful eyes. "I wanted to."

Gabriella smiled at him. This boy was something else.


	2. Who Are You?

___I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

___Summary: East High School is filled with drama, relationships, and betrayal. There's no way to escape the fear, the intensity, and the love that occurs each day. You just simply have to survive the fever._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_Who Are You?_

"You look pretty today, honey." Miss Montez smiled at her daughter as she came down the steps into the kitchen.

Gabriella was dressed in, what she hoped was, her best school outfit for her first day. She wore a pale pink skirt, a black light-knitted sweater, and a pair of Mary Jane's. Her hair was styled in her natural curls, cascading gently down her back in an elegant and smooth fashion. She wore light makeup; mascara, blush, and powder.

Only in her mind though, she wanted to look good for Troy. Maybe she had a little crush on him.

"Thanks mom," she replied. She set her bag down on the chair and sighed. "I'm kind of nervous."

"Why? Isn't Troy in your class?" asked her mom.

She nodded. "Yeah. But, I don't know anybody else. What if they think I am weird or too short?"

"Just be you," smiled Miss Montez, pouring her daughter some orange juice. "Now, eat some breakfast."

* * *

Troy looked at himself in the mirror. It had taken him nearly one hour to get ready for school, passing his regular time of only fifteen minutes. He was only late because he kept trying on different clothes. He had tried on a pair of shorts that were too baggy, a shirt that was too dirty, and a pair of shoes that were too tight on his feet. He couldn't be walking around school with a grimace on his face.

Especially around Gabriella.

Yes, he was trying to look good for her. He had never seen or known a girl like her. Though, it had to be a sin of some sort to be like this. He did have a girlfriend. But, he was getting tired of her. Sharpay was bossy, needy, sparkly, and rude. He couldn't take it much longer. Even his mother hated her. Although, his father could care less.

He finally decided on a blue button down, a pair of dark jeans, and white sneakers. He styled his hair in its floppy style and smiled, clicking his tongue at his reflection. Hopefully he didn't look like a total jackass.

He grabbed his backpack and waved goodbye to his mother in the kitchen, heading out the front door. When he did, though, he spotted Gabriella exiting her house as well. He smiled and shouted out her name.

"Gabriella!"

She looked at him and smiled shyly. "Hey!"

"Are you still riding with me?" He admired her style for the day and sighed, thinking that she looked beautiful.

She shrugged, but walked toward him. "It's not that far of a walk."

"Oh, come on. Some guy might see you and kidnap you for looking so pretty." Foot in the mouth. "I mean, it's no problem if I drive you. Remember?"

Gabriella didn't miss his earlier comment and tried to hide her blush. Yet, she nodded and smiled as he opened her door and started up his car.

When they arrived at school after driving in a comfortable silence, Gabriella was met with a crowd of students outside a fountain and around the lawn. She simply froze in the car, not sure what she should do.

"What's wrong?" asked Troy, eying her frigid state curiously.

"I'm nervous. What if nobody likes me? What if nobody wants to be my friend?" she asked frantically.

Troy suddenly held her hand and smiled at her. "Hey. I'm your friend. That's enough."

Gabriella looked at their hands and smiled. Her heart dropped when he let go and opened her door for her. She got out and started walking next to him. She barely had time to get to the door when a hue of blonde and sparkles got in her face.

It was a girl and she had a really creepy smile that wasn't even a smidgen of friendly. "Hi! I'm Sharpay Evans. I'm the most popular girl in the school."

Gabriella simply looked at her with furrowed brows, confused and disgusted at the same time. "Uh, hi. Gabriella."

"Of course you are." Sharpay suddenly put her arm around Troy. "This is my boyfriend, Troy."

Gabriella looked at Troy, waiting for him to say something. However, he simply kept his eyes on the ground. She didn't fail to notice his arm around Sharpay's waist. So, she walked away with a simple nod and left the couple alone. She didn't even look back.

Sharpay suddenly glared at Troy, removing her arm. "Who the hell was that?"

Troy shrugged and scoffed. "Beats me. I barely know her. She's my new neighbor and my mom wanted me to take her to school. She doesn't have a car."

"How sad," said Sharpay.

"I know, right?" chuckled Troy.

In the back of his mind, he was mortified and regretful.

* * *

Gabriella skimmed her schedule, happy that she got some AP classes. Those were her favorite classes. They tested her knowledge and kept her busy. It was what she liked. She loved to learn. What could be better?

She exited the office after saying goodbye to the receptionist and ran straight into another body. She gasped. "Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. I wasn't looking."

"It's okay." The person looked up, revealing herself to be Taylor. "Hey, you're new. Aren't you?"

Gabriella furrowed her brows. Who would know her before she started? "Yeah. How did you know?"

"My AP teachers let us know that we would be having a new student today. You must be Gabriella," she said. "I'm Taylor."

"Nice to meet you," smiled Gabriella. "AP, huh? What classes do you have?"

They scanned each others schedule and confirmed that they had at least four classes together. They had English, Calculus, World History, and Government.

"Awesome! Well, we have homeroom first. You're not in mine, but I can show you where yours is." Taylor smiled and led Gabriella around corners and down a few halls before stopping at a plain doorway. Students were already beginning to file in. "Here you go. His name is Mr. Lorene. He's easy to get along with."

"Great. Thanks Taylor," smiled Gabriella. She waved goodbye as she entered the classroom. The first thing she saw when she entered was Troy. He was sitting on a desk and talking animatedly with a few other boys. She smiled and walked toward him.

"Hey, Troy." No response. "I was wondering when I would see you in this school." Still no response. "Troy?"

"Dude, some midget is trying to talk to you," laughed one boy.

Troy turned around, looked her up and down, mentally apologized to her, and began chuckling. "Can I help you? Just because we're neighbors doesn't mean I have to socialize with the likes of you."

Gabriella stood there, agape. She was purely shocked by his behavior. This wasn't the boy she had met yesterday. Who was this man? "Fine, Troy. If you want to treat me like this and act like a jackass, be that way."

The team only laughed with Troy, though he was beginning to feel even more regretful.

* * *

Gabriella exited homeroom, completely upset at Troy's behavior. He was supposed to be her friend. Not some jerk. Why would he do that?

"Gabriella!"

Speak of the devil. She simply rolled her eyes and stopped, turning around. "Shouldn't you be afraid of speaking to me, Troy?"

He sighed heavily and kept his voice to a whisper. "I'm sorry. But, it's who I have to be."

"Excuse me?" Gabriella was offended that he was whispering.

"I'm popular, okay? I have to be like this. It's just the way it has always been," he explained.

"I still don't understand why you have to be a jerk," said Gabriella.

Troy sighed again, shaking his head. "You just don't get it."

Gabriella simply looked at him, hurt by his comment. "Then, maybe I just don't get our friendship."

Troy watched her leave and rolled his eyes. He was about to leave when he felt a body purposefully bump into his. When he saw who it was, he snickered darkly and folded his arms across his chest. "Chad. What do you want?"

"You know what I want," said Chad, getting closer to him.

"The scholarship? Get over it, man. It's fair game. First come, first serve." Troy was about to leave when Chad pushed him back. "Dude. I wouldn't."

"Or what? You'll hit me?" challenged Chad.

"If I have to. I'm not afraid to hit you, Danforth."

"Then do it, Bolton." Chad pushed Troy backwards, spreading his arms out in a challenge.

Before either one of them could hit, Jack arrived. He got between them with a glare. "Break it up. It's only the first day. Save it for the court." He looked at Troy with an even stronger glare. "Why can't you be tougher than him? He isn't afraid to start a fight."

Only Troy heard what his own father said.

* * *

Sharpay walked towards Gabriella and slammed her locker shut, putting her hands on her hips. "Stay away from my boyfriend."

"Excuse me?" asked Gabriella.

"He doesn't like you. He said so himself," said Sharpay. "This morning, when you left, he told me that his mother made him help you because you are his new neighbor. He barely knows you. I mean, you don't even have a car." She scoffed with a light laugh. "How pathetic."

Gabriella glared at her, only to find her glare grow stronger when Troy approached them. She pushed him back with as much force as possible. "I hate you, Troy Bolton."

Troy watched her leave, flabbergasted. He turned to Sharpay. "What did you say to her?"

"Exactly how you feel," she simply stated.

Troy sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're really something, Sharpay. And, I don't mean that as a compliment."

* * *

He was doing pretty well for himself, being the first tryout. He knew he would get on the team, though. Even if his father didn't think he was good, he still put him on to work him even harder. It was even worse at games. Luckily, nothing bad had ever happened at games. Troy would just throw up during breaks. Disgusting.

After a brutal tryout, the boys went into the locker room to change and go home for the day. The first day of school was finally over and they could do whatever they wanted until six in the morning. Troy walked over to his gym locker and rummaged through his clothes. He suddenly saw his locker shut with a slam. He turned to see Chad glaring at him.

They didn't say a word.

Chad threw the first punch at Troy's jaw, causing him to collide with the lockers beside him. They soon were both on the ground, struggling to beat each other to a pulp. Troy was already growing a bruise on his jaw while Chad was getting a black eye. The other boys were either trying to break it up or cheer them on.

"Enough!" screamed a deep voice.

Chad and Troy broke apart as a few team members held them back. They all stared at their coach. Troy stared at his father, seeing nothing but darkness in his eyes. It only made Troy break apart from the team, grab his clothes, and leave the locker room immediately.

* * *

Gabriella couldn't stop staring. What was wrong with her? She was staring at a boy that was a complete asshole. She still didn't understand why he had to be mean to her. What was wrong with her? Nobody even knew her and they had to label her as some midget or geek? She was just a person.

She watched him as he ran a few times on the basketball court at his house. His face looked slightly disfigured, though. She knew she had to talk to him, but she didn't want to be first. She didn't do anything wrong. This was all him.

As if her prayers were answered, she watched in surprise as he ran into her backyard and landed swiftly on her balcony from the tree. She didn't say anything. She just looked at him and waited.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry." Troy got closer to her.

Gabriella finally noticed the bruise on his jaw. She gently touched it, seeing him wince. "What happened?"

"One of my teammate's hates me. He'll do anything to get into a fight with me," he explained.

She sighed and looked away, staring out over her balcony. "Troy, I can't handle you. You're just a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

"I know. You don't deserve that. I understand," said Troy. "It's just hard."

"What's hard?" asked Gabriella, looking at him. He was now standing next to her rather closely.

"I don't know how to be my true self. I can only do that around you," he said.

"Why just me? Why is it so hard to be yourself around your friends? If you can't, then they aren't your real friends. They don't deserve to know the real you," she explained.

Troy smiled lightly, chuckling. "So philosophical."

Gabriella cracked a smile and shrugged. "Troy, I want to be here for you. I really do. But, it's difficult to figure you out when you are at school and at home."

"What do you want me to do then? I don't want to let you down," said Troy softly.

She simply looked at him, lightly touching his cheek with her fingertips. "Just be the Troy that I know you are."

* * *

**Author's Note: Just a reminder, this story will be updated EVERY FRIDAY!**


	3. Secrets

___I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

___Summary: East High School is filled with drama, relationships, and betrayal. There's no way to escape the fear, the intensity, and the love that occurs each day. You just simply have to survive the fever._

* * *

___Wildcat Fever_

___Secrets_

Troy walked up to Gabriella's locker the next morning, hoping that the conversation they had last night improved their relationship. "Hey, Gabby."

Gabriella didn't face him. She continued to rummage through her locker nonchalantly. "Hey."

Troy sighed. "Listen, I know you are probably still upset about yesterday."

"Probably?" scoffed Gabriella. "That's the understatement of the year."

"I'm disappointed in myself for the way that I acted towards you. I don't want to be that way with you, okay? You don't deserve that kind of behavior, especially from me." Troy pursed his lips together.

Gabriella turned towards him, slamming her locker shut. "Troy, I'm not mad anymore. I'm not confused. I don't even know what I am feeling lately." Troy furrowed his brows at that. "But, all I know is that I don't know who you really are. I don't even know this Troy."

"Gabriella..."

"I'll see you later," she mumbled. She began to walk away, but soon bumped into Sharpay. "Sorry."

Sharpay glared at her and scowled her lips. "If you keep talking to Troy, you will be given Hell. I can promise you that."

Gabriella watched as Sharpay and Troy walked away together and rolled her eyes, not wanting to see another sight of the "golden" couple at East High.

* * *

Jack read the local newspaper in his office that morning, reading about the upcoming Wildcats season in the sports section. He noticed how the newspaper seemed to put more notice on Chad than Troy. He scowled and balled it up completely in his hands. He tossed it into the wastebasket and sighed heavily.

"Damn Danforth." he mumbled. "Troy better work his ass off today."

His cell phone began to ring. He looked at the caller ID. "Hey, Lucille."

"Hi, honey. I was wondering if you and Troy would like me to order pizza tonight," suggested his wife. She was currently busy at home, washing a few dishes. Sometimes she hated being a housewife. It wasn't what she had expected for her life.

Jack shrugged, picking at his nails. "I don't know. Troy and I will be practicing for the better part of the evening at the gym and the park."

Lucille sighed. Here we go again. "Jack, don't do that."

"Why not?" asked Jack.

"You already pressure him enough at practice. Don't cripple the boy," pleaded Lucille. "He is only sixteen years old."

"That's the perfect age for him to get ready for the professionals. Lucille, you don't understand." Jack rolled his eyes.

Lucille pursed her lips with aggravation. "You're right, Jack. I don't understand. I don't understand why a father wouldn't even be remotely interested in the well being of his son."

She hung up and sighed heavily. Sometimes she couldn't stand that man. She had found him to be such a Casanova back in high school, but he was looking to be more of the villain lately. She couldn't take it on most days. But, she stayed with him because of Troy. It would just crush him if they separated. They already had a broken piece of the family missing. They didn't need another.

* * *

Taylor spotted Gabriella at one of the red tables in the cafeteria and strode over quickly, earning a glare from Sharpay on the way. She sat down and sighed. "Hey."

"Hey," replied Gabriella. "I saw that glare between you and Sharpay. What was that all about?"

She simply shrugged. "I just don't like the popular crowd."

"Like Troy?" asked Gabriella.

"Especially him."

Before Gabriella could ask why, she spotted Troy walking in. They only had a one second glance before he suddenly bumped into Chad on the way to a table. She watched cautiously as they stared each other down.

"Bolton," growled Chad.

"Danforth," muttered Troy. He was about to walk away when his lunch got knocked over by the same person. All of the food he had spilled on to his shirt. He glared at Chad once again. "Bitch."

"What? No longer feeling perfect?" taunted Chad. "What are you going to do about it?"

Troy pushed Chad, causing him to stumble backward. As a response, Chad pushed Troy even harder. The push caused Troy to actually fall on to the ground with a grunt. He didn't even look at Chad. He only looked toward Gabriella, who looked scared beyond words. He watched as she ran out.

"Damn it." He got up and immediately ran after her, not caring if anybody saw him or if people began whispering the latest rumors.

Sharpay watched her boyfriend run off and scoffed. "What the hell?" She watched as people began making up rumors about Gabriella and Troy.

Things were beginning to fall apart.

* * *

He finally caught up to her at her locker, but stopped. She was grabbing some sort of pen from her locker. "Follow me."

Troy followed her and was surprised that she led him into the gym and into the boys locker room. He stopped in his tracks. "Gabriella, what are you doing?"

Gabriella turned around. "I always care around a Tide pen with me. You never know when you might stain a shirt."

Troy chuckled. "Is that so? You're very convenient."

"I'll need to get that gunk off first," she said, gesturing to the tiny pile of food stuck to his shirt. She paused nervously. "Um..."

"Don't be nervous," muttered Troy. He swiftly took off his shirt, leaving him bare in only his jeans and shoes.

Gabriella couldn't help but admire his perfect abs and perfect biceps. He had the perfect body. She suddenly spotted a mark on his right pec. "What's that?"

He looked down, noticing her gesture to his tattoo. "Oh, that." It was a date. "I don't normally like talking about it."

Gabriella nodded, grabbing his shirt. "Okay." She walked toward the sinks and began dabbing water on the spots, getting the gunk off.

Troy sighed after a few minutes. He sat down on a bench. "I had an older brother."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "He was eighteen. He was supposed to go off to U of A. He had a scholarship for the basketball team. My dad was so proud. I wanted to be just like my brother."

Gabriella glanced over at him. "What was his name?"

"Jeremy." Troy smiled distantly. "He was my role model." He then frowned. "A week before the first tryout, he was out with some friends. It was a red light. He was supposed to turn right. When he did, there was another guy that decided to drive drunk." He paused somberly. "The car hit Jeremy's side directly and he died on impact. I was only thirteen."

Gabriella stopped her actions and turned around to look at him. "Oh my gosh. Troy..."

"July 7th, 2010." He shook his head. "I never stopped crying that day."

"It's okay for you to cry now," whispered Gabriella.

Troy gave her a small smile. "No. I've run out of tears for now." He decided to change the subject. "I wanted to ask you...why did you run away back there?"

Gabriella resumed her cleaning and turned back to the sink. "I didn't know what to do. Seeing you on the ground...I just didn't know how to handle that. I didn't want to go to you and have people start talking. That wouldn't be good for your image."

Troy chuckled. "My image?"

"Don't you care about it? I mean, that's why you act weird around me in public. Right?" she asked pointedly.

"I don't care what people think," he said, standing up.

"I had a feeling you would run after me," muttered Gabriella.

"You looked pretty dejected back there and I didn't want to leave you by yourself," admitted Troy, getting closer to her.

Gabriella simply ignored his comment, not truly believing it. If he didn't care about his image, then he would have talked to her like the real Troy. Not some stranger. He wouldn't have waited until she left the lunchroom, either.

"How do you feel about me?"

She nearly splashed the water all over her clothes when she heard his blurted out comment. She shook her head frantically, washing his shirt even more. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Troy turned off the water and, in the process, turned her around to face him. He could see how nervous she was to be around him. "I don't mean to scare you."

"You don't," she denied. She didn't want to meet his gaze, but it was hard not to with his impeccably, gorgeous blue eyes. "Troy, don't."

"Don't do what?" He leaned forward slightly, the tips of their noses brushing against each other. "This?"

"What the hell is going on here?!" shouted a deep voice.

They both looked to find Jack staring them down dangerously. Gabriella simply shoved Troy's shirt in his face and ran off, completely mortified. She was only mortified because Troy had actually stepped away from her when he saw his dad. It let her know who he was at that moment and it made her mad and embarrassed.

"What are you thinking, Troy? Canoodling with that girl?" asked Jack, grimacing.

Troy glared at him. "Hey. She is not just some girl. Her name is Gabriella. I happen to like her a lot."

Jack chuckled. "That's funny. You don't have time for a girl. You barely have time for that blonde girl. Your mind should only be on basketball and that scholarship that you will earn next year."

Troy gritted his teeth and growled. "God! Shut up for once, okay? Why do you have to keep controlling my life?!"

"I gave you that life, Troy!" shouted Jack, pointing at him. "I can take it away if I want to."

"Are you threatening your own son?" asked a flabbergasted Troy, chuckling dryly.

Jack simply shrugged.

Troy sighed heavily and walked away, putting his shirt back on. He didn't even care about the stains. He had to catch up to Gabriella. When he reached the hallway outside of the gym, he spotted her leaning against the wall. She was near tears.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry."

She looked at him angrily. "Sorry for what? For showing me who you really are, even in front of your dad?"

"What?" asked Troy, confused.

"Troy, you pushed me away when you saw him!" She shook her head quickly. "No, I know what you were doing this whole time. You were messing with my feelings."

"Gabby, I wouldn't..."

"Don't call me that!" she shouted, pushing him back when he tried to get close. "Just leave me alone."

Troy's heart was breaking already. And, she wasn't even his. "I'm sorry."

"Stop messing with my feelings. Don't talk to me, okay? Until you figure out who you really are and who you want to be around me, don't talk to me." She walked away and disappeared around the corner.

Troy watched her and sighed, wanting to erase this entire day.

* * *

Jack watched through the gym door window as his son walked away sadly. All he did was shake his head as he held the phone to his ear, needing time away from all of the chaos in his life and the gym. His son was going against his dream, all for some girl. What was wrong with him?

"Hey, it's me." He paused, listening on the other end. "Yeah. Tonight. Eight?" He hung up and walked back to his office, needing some stress relief with the Jack Daniels he kept in his cabinets.


	4. The Edge

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Summary: East High School is filled with drama, relationships, and betrayal. There's no way to escape the fear, the intensity, and the love that occurs each day. You just simply have to survive the fever._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_The Edge_

Gabriella slammed the door behind her as she walked into her house that afternoon. Her mind and her attitude were reeling like crazy. She was frustrated, upset, and confused. It was all about Troy, to make matters worse. What was it about this boy that she just met? She hadn't even been in this city for an entire week and already she had drama in her life. This move was supposed to be a fresh start. She was almost done with high school and then she could do whatever she wanted to do in her life. She could travel the world or go backpacking across Europe.

Her mother immediately sensed the rapid emotions when her daughter stomped into the kitchen. "Rough day?" She set her tea mug down and grabbed the kettle, pouring her daughter some hot, herbal tea.

"You don't even know," murmured Gabriella, accepting the tea. "Why are boys so confusing?"

"Is this about Troy? The boy next door?" asked Maria. "He's cute."

"Mom, don't even start. He is being so confusing and it just frustrates me!" exclaimed Gabriella, taking a big gulp of her tea.

"What did he do? How about you start with that so I can understand your emotions right now?" chuckled Maria. She definitely didn't miss being a teenager.

"It's not funny," sighed Gabriella. "He hangs out with me so much and he lets me know that he has a thing for me or whatever. But, when we aren't hanging out, he just acts like a jerk. Like, he has to act like this because of his status at school."

"Honey, I'm just going to say it. Boys are confusing, period. They say one thing and then they say another." She smiled softly. "Your father was the type of teenage boy that would change his mind about me so many times. I thought I was going to go nuts."

Gabriella found it rare when her mother spoke out about her deceased father. He had died when Gabriella was only twelve when he had passed away in a car crash. She didn't know the details clearly, but her mother only told her that he died instantly. Sometimes, it annoyed her that her mother didn't tell her everything about it.

"But, you guys got through it."

"Yes, we did." Maria sighed and shook her head. "Your father and I were only twenty when we got married. One year later, we had you. He died young, of course. But, he is still in my heart."

"I'm sure he is. But, what do you think I should do about Troy?" asked Gabriella.

"Do you like Troy?" she asked, grinning at her daughter knowingly.

Gabriella sighed and frowned. Her mother knew her too well. "Yes."

"Just follow your heart. Do what you think will be best for you," said Maria, walking away with her tea.

Gabriella watched her mother and sighed, resting her face in her hands. Sometimes she wished she could fast forward her teenage years. They were way too difficult to handle.

* * *

"What in the hell is wrong with you?!" shouted Jack, following his son into the house.

He had been waiting hours for his son. When he never showed up for practice in the gym, he decided to wait at the park. When he never showed up an hour later, Jack decided to leave in a huff. It was lucky for him and unlucky for Troy that they both arrived home at the same time. Troy, however, needed to blow off steam when he left school. He stayed at the rooftop for a good while, knowing that nobody would find him. It was the only place in the school that he could have to himself. He could think, cry, or even sleep. Whatever it took to blow off steam.

Right now, his steam was coming right back to him. Everything was going in reverse right now as his father caught up to him in the kitchen, turning him around forcefully. Troy nearly got the nerve to hit his own father.

"Don't you walk away from me," scolded Jack, glaring at his son. "What is going on with you lately?"

"Nothing! Like I would tell you," said Troy. "You only care if it's about basketball!"

"Basketball is all you have, Troy! What don't you understand about that?!" shouted Jack.

Lucille rushed in, shocked at the words and shouting that she was hearing. "What is going on?"

"Mom, it's nothing. You don't need to hear this," said Troy. He cared and loved for his mother. He never wanted her to hear the shouting and cursing. She didn't deserve that.

"Your son is stupid, Lucille." Jack crossed his arms over his chest.

Troy rolled his eyes. "That sure did hurt."

Lucille gasped. "Jack!"

"He missed practice, Lucille! What else would he be?" asked Jack.

"Your son!" exclaimed Lucille. "He is our son, Jack. Why in the world would you call him stupid?!"

Troy shook his head. "Mom, just stop. It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Lucille scoffed. "Troy, your father should not be doing this to you on a daily basis."

"Doing what?" asked Jack, furrowing his brows together in frustration.

"You know damn well what you are doing! Since he was just a little boy, you have been pressuring him to be too good in basketball. It has always been about basketball with you, Jack! Isn't he good enough for you?" demanded Lucille, glaring at him.

"I know exactly why he keeps doing this to me, mom." Troy looked pointedly at his father.

Jack looked over at Troy. "Oh, really? You finally get it after all these years?"

"Yeah, I do." Troy walked over to him slowly. "This is about Jeremy."

"Troy," whispered Lucille.

"You wanted Jeremy to be successful. You wanted him to have it all. But, he never wanted this. Jeremy wouldn't want this for me or for this family. You stopped making this a family when he died and you have been trying to make me just like him," said Troy.

Jack got closer to Troy dangerously. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," murmured Troy. "I'm not Jeremy, dad. I never will be. I'm just Troy. You lost Jeremy. We all did and we are _never _getting him back!"

Troy was suddenly pushed against the kitchen wall hard, grunting at the impact as a picture fell beside him. He opened his eyes from the impact and suddenly realized that he had been pushed by his own father. Hard.

"Jack!" shouted Lucille. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Jack shook his head and grabbed his keys, leaving the house in a huff. He slammed the door, causing another picture to fall and crash to the floor.

Lucille looked over at her son, tears filling her eyes. "Troy..."

"I'm sorry, mom." Troy rushed out of the house, not wanting to be around anybody. Except one person.

* * *

Gabriella sat outside on her balcony, watching as the sun began to set behind the trees and mountains overhead. Her mind was running wild. The only thing she could think about was Troy. There wasn't any doubt in her mind about it. She liked him. It was obvious. Only to her, though. But, he couldn't find himself. It would never work. He couldn't understand what she needed. She needed him to be the true Troy, the Troy that she saw each night.

"Gabriella!"

She looked down and sighed. What was God trying to do to her? "Troy, what is it?"

"I need to come up," he said.

She shook her head. "I don't think that is a good idea."

"Please?" His voice was different.

Gabriella furrowed her eyebrows and nodded quickly. She watched as he swiftly climbed the tree. When he landed on her balcony, she was shocked. She took a look at his face and saw tears streaming down his face. "Troy..."

Troy shook his head, chuckling dryly. "I can't believe I am letting you see me cry. You must hate me so much right now."

"I don't, Troy. I just hate who you are when you aren't around me," she explained. She sat down with him in the two chairs. "What's wrong?"

He wiped away his tears furiously and kept his eyes away from her. "My parents. Everything." He paused. "My dad pushed me."

Gabriella got closer to him, grabbing his hands. "What?!"

"Yeah. We got into an argument about basketball and Jeremy. He pushed me when I told him that Jeremy wouldn't want any of this," explained Troy. "He just pushed me. My mom even saw." That's what hurt Troy the most.

Gabriella sighed heavily and shook her head. "You know, I barely understand how a father should be. I mean, mine died so long ago. I don't even know how."

Troy looked over at her, surprised. "What?"

"Well, I know it was a car crash. But, I don't know the details. My mom won't tell me for some reason," said Gabriella. She shook her head frantically. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking about myself. This is about you."

"No, no. It's okay. This is why I came up here. I wanted to talk to you," he said. "I missed you, Gabriella."

She looked away from him. Her feelings were started to become distracting. "Troy, don't say that."

"Why?" he asked.

She stood up and walked over to the balcony railing. "You don't mean it."

Troy stood up and went over to her. "How do you know?"

"Because you are two different people!" she exclaimed. She had reached her boiling point. "Troy, I don't know if I can trust you. How do I know that, tomorrow, you will be this person? What if you go back to that jerk? You know, making fun of me? That hurts, Troy."

"I know, Gabriella. I'm sorry. You know I am. Otherwise I wouldn't be here," he pleaded. "Gabriella, I like you."

She looked at him wide-eyed. "Don't say that, either."

"You're afraid, aren't you?" he asked.

"Troy, don't. It's too complicated," she murmured, looking away from him.

Troy held her face gently, gazing into her brown eyes. They were sparkling with fresh tears. "Gabriella, you feel the same way. Just admit it."

"No," she said. Why was she lying?

"You can't lie to me right now. I can see right through you, Gabriella." Troy brushed away a tear.

"Troy, nothing you can say or do will make me admit anything. There is nothing to admit," said Gabriella.

Troy looked at her, suddenly beginning to lean forward. He could hear her intake of breath as their lips edged closer. He could feel the soft skin before a noise broke their attention.

"Gabriella!"

She looked back, hearing her mother speaking behind her bedroom door. "I'll be right there!"

Troy sighed, feeling like he had been seriously blocked from the best thing he could have ever done. But, he wasn't stopping there. "Gabriella, I know how you feel. I'm not perfect, okay? But, I can at least try to be perfect for you. I won't stop trying because I owe you that much. I owe you everything I can give you. If you'd let me."

Gabriella simply looked at him, astonished. It was truly him speaking. It wasn't an act. This was the Troy she knew. This was the Troy she wanted. She watched as he touched her cheek once before climbing down the tree. She couldn't let him get away, though.

"Troy!" she shouted, looking over the balcony. He looked up at her expectantly. She smiled shyly. "I like you, too."

He smiled and nodded. "I thought so."

* * *

Jack pulled up to the curb and sighed when he turned off the ignition. Sometimes, he just needed to get away. His family was driving him crazy, especially Troy. His son was completely idiotic. He had no idea what he was doing with his life. And, that girl. He knew that she was a part of the problem. Ever since he met her, she had been on Troy's mind twenty four seven. It was ridiculous.

And Lucille. Why was she even supporting this? Nobody was on his side. They were always on the wrong side. Troy and Lucille were on the wrong side. They had no idea what they were talking about or what they were doing. Lucille had no idea what Troy deserved for his future. He had the answers.

He got out of the car and walked up to the brick house with the red door that he was completely familiar with. He rang the doorbell and waited a few minutes, smiling with a smirk when it opened. "Hey."

She had long, blonde hair and had green eyes. She had an overall tan, was at least a foot shorter than him, and had amazing curves. She looked him up and down and smiled. "I've been waiting for you."

"Hey, it isn't even eight yet." Jack shrugged. "I needed to get here earlier."

"Trouble at home?" she asked.

"You have no idea. I need a little bit of Susan," he said, grabbing her waist.

She giggled and put her hands behind his neck, planting her full lips over his. They kissed like that for a while before they finally went inside, continuing their activities in private. In private as they had been for quite some time. Nobody knew. At least, they thought so.

A white vehicle sat outside the house, the person gazing at the house in shock at what they had just seen. He looked away and shook his head, not knowing what he should do or say. Should he reveal the truth? Should he go up there and tell them that he knew? They deserved to know. Both families did. But, he couldn't do that. He didn't know if he _could _do that.

After all, he was Chad Danforth. Troy's only enemy. What would that say?


	5. Fitting In

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Summary: East High School is filled with drama, relationships, and betrayal. There's no way to escape the fear, the intensity, and the love that occurs each day. You just simply have to survive the fever._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_Fitting In_

Gabriella walked into school that morning, feeling unsure and happy all at the same time. However, her facial expression was looking more unsure by the minute. Since last night, Troy had been on her mind constantly. She even had a dream about him. She wouldn't go into logistics about that, though. Nevertheless, Troy was beginning to crowd her mind and it was just confusing. Sure, he liked her. She liked him, too.

But, he had Sharpay.

He was a jock.

She was the new kid.

She was a stranger to this entire school and town. She didn't fit in anywhere. So, how in the world could she possible fit in with Troy and his heart? It wasn't logical. It wasn't fate. It just wasn't possible.

She reached her locker and looked over her shoulder out the window. It was raining. It was slowly beginning to match her mood right now. She hugged her sweater closer to her body and began to gather her books for her next few classes.

"Gabriella."

She froze and sighed, shutting her eyes. She didn't want to speak to him right now. "Troy, not right now."

Troy furrowed his brows together, confused. "What's wrong? I figured you would be happy about last night."

Gabriella turned to him, holding her books to her chest. "Troy, I know you like me. I promise I like you, too. But, you have Sharpay. You're spoken for. It just seems impossible right now for us to be anything more than friends. If anything at all."

Troy shook his head, reaching for her. "Gabriella..."

"I'll see you later," murmured Gabriella, walking away quickly.

Troy was about to run after her when he heard his name. No wonder Gabriella ran off so quickly. He sighed heavily and turned around to see Sharpay striding over to him in an angry fashion. "Speaking to that girl again? What is wrong with you lately?"

"Sharpay, her name is Gabriella." He was trying to be calm.

"I don't care what her name is, Troy. I am your girlfriend, not her." Sharpay put her hands on her hips to make a point.

Troy crossed his arms over his chest. "Sharpay, why are you even with me?"

"What kind of question is that?" she asked, scoffing.

"Just answer the damn question," he said.

Sharpay shrugged nonchalantly. "You're popular, I'm popular. You're hot, I'm hot. It just fits, Troy. People expect us to be like this. Why would I want to choose somebody at the bottom of the food chain?"

Troy scoffed, disgusted. "You know what? You are definitely at the bottom of the food chain."

Sharpay gaped at him, completely shocked at his words. "Troy! That girl has changed you or something. I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it, Sharpay. We're over," said Troy, shaking his head. "I can't deal with you anymore."

For the first time, Sharpay frowned. Not because she wasn't getting her way, but because she was in dismay. "Troy, you're not serious. I thought we were in love."

"In love? No. Sharpay, you were only in love with the idea of us. That's not what I want," explained  
Troy.

"You want Gabriella. Is that it?" demanded Sharpay, her voice breaking. She didn't even realize there was a crowd surrounding the ex-couple.

Troy looked around at the people and shook his head. Is that what he had been reduced to his entire high school career? People that were human, just like him. They expected him to be some kind of celebrity. They expected him to save the world or something. He was just a boy, though. He was nothing special. He was just Troy.

He simply shook his head and walked away, pushing past the crowd of people and their mindless thoughts about how he should act.

No more.

* * *

Chad's mind was consumed with conflicting thoughts. He had witnessed Troy Bolton's father having an affair with a much younger woman. He had met Troy's mother and she was a very nice woman. She was beautiful, too. She definitely didn't deserve this kind of treatment from his coach. She deserved better.

But, he couldn't tell anybody. Especially not Troy. That would completely ruin everything that he had stood up for in high school. He and Troy were mortal enemies. They weren't supposed to vent to each other. It wouldn't look great to others in school. That wouldn't cause much excitement, either. There didn't need to be any new excitement. Just the same old, same old.

He looked over at one girl that he wanted to add excitement into his same old life. He watched as she chewed on her pencil while looking over quiz answers as the entire class graded their own papers. He focused on her eyes. They were so beautiful and shiny. He just wanted to stare at them all day.

But, he couldn't. It wasn't right.

Taylor caught Chad's eyes and glared, watching as he turned away with a shake of the head. She sighed and looked over, seeing Gabriella was completely stuck in la la land. "Gabriella?"

"What?" Gabriella shook her head, sighing. "Sorry. My mind is just not here today."

"Why?" asked Taylor.

She bit her lip. "Troy said he likes me."

Taylor looked away for a moment before looking back at her. "I wouldn't believe him."

"Why?" asked Gabriella.

"He isn't a good guy, Gabriella. He is just some jock that doesn't care about anybody else but himself," explained Taylor. She was getting rather heated.

Gabriella furrowed her brows. "Taylor, are you okay? You're getting pretty defensive."

Taylor nodded quickly. "I just don't want you getting hurt."

The bell rang after that, with Taylor quickly getting up and heading for the door. Gabriella watched her and sighed, confused. What was wrong with people lately? They were being really weird. She was about to leave the room when Chad blocked her way.

"I overheard you," he said. "I'm Chad, by the way."

Gabriella shrugged. "And?"

"You should date Troy," he said.

She furrowed her brows. Once again, another confusing person. "Why would you say that? Don't you and Tro y hate each other?"

"Yeah." Chad paused. "If you date him, he'd lose focus. I'd be number one."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Look, it's nice to meet you Chad. I guess. But, I'd like to decide my own life choices. If you don't mind."

"Fine. But, remember there is a very tight heirachy in this school," explained Chad, leaving her by herself.

Gabriella sighed and rushed to her locker. She was fuming. She suddenly began to wish that she never even moved to this stupid town. She was tired of all of the confusion. She just wanted normalcy. She wished she was invisible.

"Hey, did you hear?" asked a girl.

Gabriella stopped rummaging through her locker slightly, overhearing two girls next to her.

"What?" asked the other girl.

"Troy broke up with Sharpay this morning," she explained in shock.

The other girl gasped. "No way! They were the perfect couple!"

"I heard he likes someone else. Some new girl or whatever," said the girl, walking away with her friend.

Gabriella sighed and shook her head, slightly smiling. For once, Troy might have given a hint that he was a good person to strangers around him. She was about to completely deny the effort when she looked up at the shelf, noticing a note folded up. She grabbed it and opened it up, smiling at what it read:

_G-_

_Meet me up on the rooftop. Follow the Wildcat footprints to your right._

_T_

She looked to her right and laughed to herself, finding the footprints. What was he up to?

* * *

Troy looked out at the rainy sky, staying underneath the canopy on the roof. Watching the rain from the rooftop was rather spectacular. It looked eerie, but completely calming. He thought better when it was raining. It seemed to give him stability.

He hoped he could have a partner soon for that stability.

As if his heart was granting his wish, he heard small footsteps behind him and smiled. "I didn't think you would come."

Gabriella ran under the canopy, making sure she didn't get wet. She shook her arms out. "It's raining, Troy. Why are we out here?"

Troy shrugged. "I like to think up here. This is my personal spot. Nobody knows about this."

"I know about it," said Gabriella.

He looked at her with a smile. "I know."

Gabriella smiled and looked away, gazing out at the sky. "It's so beautiful."

He had to resist looking at her. He didn't want to be cliche and say that she was beautiful. This wasn't some romantic movie. But, he wanted that romance with her. He wanted her.

"I broke up with Sharpay," he said.

Gabriella nodded sheepishly. "I know. I heard through the grapevine." She paused. "I heard it was because you wanted someone else. Some...new girl."

Troy chuckled. "People are crazy."

She looked at him and shook her head. "Will you stop that?"

Troy watched her walk away from him with her arms crossed. "What's wrong?"

"You keep confusing me, Troy! Why would you say people are crazy? I mean, you like me. I like you. But, you don't realize that it won't work out," explained Gabriella.

Troy sighed. "Gabriella, come here." He held her hands once she walked back over to him. "I like you."

"I know," she murmured.

"I do. I like you a lot. I want to get to know you more. I'm sorry that I like you. I don't know. I can't stop how I feel about you," he explained.

"Well, I don't deserve someone like you." Gabriella let go of his hands and stared out at the expanse of the rooftop. She suddenly wanted to do something crazy.

Troy watched her, shocked, as she walked stoically out into the rain. Her outfit, hair, and skin was completely soaked as she shut her eyes and let the rain wash over her. She held out her arms and he noticed, even through the rain, that she was crying. She suddenly collapsed on her bottom, letting her tears fall.

"I'm so confused about everything, Troy! I want you!" she shouted over the rain.

Troy walked over to her, allowing his entire being to get soaked in the rain. He sat next to her rather closely, wiping away her tears in the rain. "How much?"

She looked at him, noticing how close they were to each other. "So much that it actually hurts. It hurts to see you in school or next door and know that I can never be with you."

"What makes you think that?" asked Troy, slowly putting his arm around her shoulder.

"I don't fit in anywhere," murmured Gabriella.

Troy looked into her eyes, suddenly snuggling her closer to his body. "You fit in right here, Gabriella. You fit into my arms, into my hold. That's where I want you to be. I want to keep you safe from every bad thing in the world. I want to make you happy. I want to make you laugh. I want to wipe away your tears. I want to wake up to you every morning. I. Want. You."

Gabriella looked up at him, unaware that her fingers were reaching up to his cheek. They looked at each other's eyes, completely transfixed as the rain pelted their eyelashes and made their hair stick to their skin. Their minds were completely stuck on one thing. One thing that they both wanted to do. Troy wanted her and she wanted him. Nothing was stopping them now and to them, it felt like they had all the time in the world. They certainly weren't intending to waste it.

Troy, without a second thought, pressed his lips to hers. He could taste the saltwater on her mouth as he kissed her lips softly, enjoying it as she kissed back acceptingly. She liked his kisses. He liked hers. He couldn't believe that she thought she didn't fit in anywhere.

She was fitting in perfectly with Troy's heart.


	6. Us Against The World

___I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

___Summary: East High School is filled with drama, relationships, and betrayal. There's no way to escape the fear, the intensity, and the love that occurs each day. You just simply have to survive the fever._

* * *

___Wildcat Fever_

___Us Against The World_

Yes, they had to skip their next class to actually get dry. Of course, they went to their respective houses. Gabriella's mother was at work, so she was able to sneak into the shower and change into dry clothes in under thirty minutes. Troy, however, knew his mom would be home. However, when he had arrived soaking wet with a smile on his face, Lucille asked no questions. As long as her boy was smiling, she would be smiling. Even if he had to be skipping class to get some new clothes on.

Once they arrived back to school rather slowly, they simply stayed in a comfortable silence. They had just kissed and had professed that they had feelings for each other. Gabriella sure as hell didn't know the next step. Was Troy supposed to ask her on a date? Was she supposed to ask him?

She decided to leave it up to Troy. He knew how she felt. The ball was in his court.

Speaking of, the first practice for the Wildcats was occurring that afternoon. For now, the team had been paired to practice tossing the ball to each other. Unfortunately, Troy and Chad were paired up. They tried to keep it civil though, more so Chad. To be honest, he felt bad that Troy didn't know about his dad's cheating. He deserved to know, but he wouldn't believe him anyway. They hated each other. They weren't supposed to confide in each other.

Chad tossed the ball to Troy. "So, I heard."

Troy tossed the ball back. "Heard what?"

Chad shrugged, rolling the ball in his hands. "I heard that you broke up with Sharpay. What happened?" He tossed the ball back.

Why was Chad so curious? Troy caught the ball and glared at him, scoffing. "Mind your own business."

Chad didn't fail to notice how hard Troy tossed the ball back to him. He grunted at the slight impact to his stomach. "Just asking. Did it have anything to do about that new girl?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Troy, shaking his head.

"I'm just saying. Is Gabriella your rebound now?" asked Chad, tossing the ball to him in a hard form.

Troy got closer to him in a threatening manner. "Don't you ever say her name. You don't deserve to. And, she's not a rebound."

"I don't know, man. She looks like a little firecracker. When you're finished with her, can I have her?" asked Chad, smirking. He had too much fun when it came to messing with Troy.

Troy looked at him and just snapped, tossing the ball even harder and causing it to collide with Chad's stomach. He then pushed him to the ground and began punching his jaw. He wouldn't have somebody, not even him, talk smack about Gabriella. He just wouldn't let it slide.

"Hey, hey, hey!" shouted Jack, cutting through the crowd that was forming. He grabbed the boys by the back collar and brought them both to their feet. "Enough of this crap!"

Troy looked at his father and shook his head. "He's such a dick."

Jack blew his whistle. "Sprints! Everybody! Now!"

He glared at his son, watching as he tried to challenge him with his own glare. Troy finally turned his back on his father and ran with the other boys, deciding to just leave the argument before it could get even worse.

* * *

Gabriella rifled through her locker, sighing heavily. She should have gone home thirty minutes ago, but she had completely taken too much time in the library. She had to do homework, clean her room, and make dinner. Her mother wouldn't be home until close to eleven, so she'd be by herself.

She had to figure out what was going on with her and Troy. She didn't want to leave it as a big question mark. She wanted to be with Troy. He proved that much earlier. He had kissed her, too. Needless to say, she enjoyed the kiss. It was very powerful. If she could, she would kiss him until her heart stopped beating.

She touched her lips absentmindedly, remembering the kiss. It was so soft, yet so electrifying. His lips knew just how to move against hers. It was like he was inviting her into his bubble, his heart. He wanted her. He knew where to touch her. He knew how to take care of her. He wanted to reassure her that he would always be her savior. That's all she wanted. And, he had proved that.

Her locker slammed shut, breaking her out of her reverie. She looked up to see Sharpay glaring at her. "Hi?"

"You made Troy break up with me," accused Sharpay.

Gabriella scoffed lightly. "Excuse me? That wasn't my fault. I don't control his actions."

"He fell for you. I don't know why, either. You're so new and plain," explained Sharpay, staring at her as if she were a cockroach that needed to be crushed.

Gabriella shook her head, opening her locker again. She had no time to deal with Sharpay. She had better things to do. "Whatever."

Sharpay suddenly pushed her against the lockers, hearing her back collide with the metal. "Don't you get sassy with me, bitch. You have no such thing as a backbone."

"Yeah, but I do." Taylor walked up to them, getting between the two. She glared at Sharpay.

Sharpay laughed at her, shaking her head. "Backbone? More like just a back. You spent quite a bit of time on it. Remember?"

Taylor faltered as she watched Sharpay leave. She shook her head and turned to Gabriella. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What was she talking about?" asked Gabriella, confused.

"Nothing," said Taylor. "Anyway, what was she talking about?"

"Troy told me he likes me and...he kissed me," said Gabriella, smiling a bit.

Taylor furrowed her brows. "What? Why would he do that?"

"I don't know," shrugged Gabriella. "What's your opinion?"

"I know he is bad news. He's not good," explained Taylor, shaking her head quickly.

"Why do you say that?" asked Gabriella.

Taylor faltered once again, shaking her head. "Just forget it. I have to get home. See you tomorrow."

Gabriella watched her leave, about to go after her. She was suddenly stopped by a small, redhead. She looked like a freshman.

"Coach Bolton needs to see you in his office," she explained.

Gabriella watched her leave, confused. What could he want?

* * *

Troy stood against his locker after practice in the locker room, staring at his reflection. He was frowning and he was upset. He was frowning about his father, because he was such a control freak and was just crazy. He was frowning because of Chad. He had no right to ask about his life or even mention Gabriella in such an abusive way.

Gabriella.

He began to think about their kiss and their time on the roof. It seemed too perfect, like it belonged in some kind of romantic movie. But, it had happened. They had admitted how they felt about each other and he kissed her. She liked the kiss, too. He could feel it when she touched him and when she never wanted to stop. He could hear and feel her heart pounding.

He looked back at his reflection and found that he was smiling. He shook his head, deciding to keep his smile. He shut his locker and headed out, only to end up bumping into Gabriella herself. "Hey!"

She smiled at him shyly. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?" asked Troy, looking out at the empty halls of the locker room.

"Your dad wants to see me," said Gabriella, shrugging.

Troy furrowed his brows. Something wasn't right. "What for?"

"I don't know. What do you think?" she asked.

"I don't know either. I'll just wait for you here, okay? I can walk you home," he said, smiling and grabbing her fingers gently.

Gabriella smiled and nodded. "Sure." She caught her breath when he kissed her cheek, leaving her behind.

She headed towards Jack's office and opened the door, finding Troy's father in his chair. He was polishing a trophy proudly when he looked up. "Ah, Gabriella. Please sit."

Gabriella sat in the chair opposite of him, crossing her legs. "So, am I in trouble?"

Jack chuckled, shaking his head. "No, no. I just want to get to know you more."

She furrowed her brows. "Why me?"

"Well, you and Troy are obviously getting close. Right?" inquired Jack.

"I guess we are," she supplied.

Jack nodded, messing with a pen. "Tell me about your home life, Gabriella."

What a way to start a conversation. "Well, it's just me and my mom. My dad died a while back. We've moved a few times, but Albuquerque is going to be a permanent place for a while."

"A while, huh? So, you could move next year?" asked Jack.

"No. My mom made sure that we wouldn't," said Gabriella. "Coach Bolton, I don't..."

"Are you close to your mom?" interrupted Jack.

"Yeah, of course." Gabriella shook her head. "Why are you asking me all of this?"

"Well, what is the status right now? I mean, with you and Troy?" he asked.

Gabriella shrugged. "I don't know, really. I guess we are just friends or something."

"Good. No, you know what? Not good," said Jack, sitting up quickly.

"Not good?" Gabriella was getting uncomfortable.

Jack stood up. "You and Troy can't be friends or even acquaintances. It will mess everything up."

"Mess what up?"

"His game!" exclaimed Jack. "If he has you on the mind, then he will never succeed in life. You aren't a good part of his life. You're just bad."

"Bad?" Gabriella scoffed. "I haven't even done anything!" She stood up and shook her head. "I have to go."

She grabbed the doorknob, only to be pushed aside by Jack. He cornered her aggressively, grabbing onto her arms. This was a side of him that she never thought existed. She was suddenly very frightened.

"You need to leave my son alone," seethed Jack.

"Let me go," pleaded Gabriella. His grip was getting tighter.

Troy suddenly burst in, pushing his father away from Gabriella. He turned to Gabriella quickly, rubbing her arms soothingly. "Are you okay?"

She nodded quickly. "I'm fine. I'm fine."

"Troy, get away from her right now!" demanded Jack.

Troy turned to his father, glaring at him. "No! Dad, you will never touch Gabriella again."

"She is no good for you," said Jack. "She will only ruin your life."

"She is the best thing that has ever come into my life!" exclaimed Troy. "I wouldn't change that for anything!"

Jack pointed at his chest aggressively. "I will not stand here and watch my son ruin his life over some girl!"

He was getting tired of people treating her as the new girl or just a simple nobody. "She is not just some girl." He grabbed Gabriella's hand and left his father's office, completely fuming. Yet, when he looked back at Gabriella as they left the gymnasium, his mood instantly changed. All because of this girl, his mood could change in under one minute. And when it did, he did the one thing that he knew she loved seeing.

He smiled.

* * *

**Author's Note: I apologize for this chapter being out so late! It has been one crazy day of home shopping, moving, long talks, and work. I always feel like I disappoint my readers when I post a chapter incredibly late because I know I have readers all over the world and the time zone is crazy different. But, I promise you guys that your opinion and you in general mean a lot to me. Without my readers, I wouldn't be on this website still. You guys keep me going! I love you bunches! Check back tomorrow for a new chapter of "For The Love of Rivalry"!**


	7. Actions Can Be As Strong As Words

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Summary: East High School is filled with drama, relationships, and betrayal. There's no way to escape the fear, the intensity, and the love that occurs each day. You just simply have to survive the fever._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_Actions Can Be As Strong As Words_

She remembered when they were here the last time. It was raining and she had been questioning whether or not she and Troy should even be together. And, she could remember which spot she had been sitting in when Troy had kissed her in the rain, reassuring her beliefs that he really did feel something for her.

And here they were again. Hard to believe it did rain earlier, too.

They were sitting next to each other on the stone bench, enjoying the new warm weather and the comfortable silence. Gabriella was still stressed about the conversation she had just had with Jack, though. It was strange and he had gotten way too close to her and had become violent. She was lucky that Troy had decided to barge in. Who knows what might have happened if he hadn't.

Troy looked down at their hands and rubbed hers with the pad of his thumb. "Are you okay?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. I don't get your dad. Why doesn't he like me?"

Troy sighed and shook his head. "It's complicated."

"I'm all ears," shrugged Gabriella. "If you want to tell me."

Who better else to vent to then a wonderful girl like her? Troy nodded. "Well, before Jeremy passed away, we were one big happy family. We'd all play basketball together, though my dad had better dreams for Jeremy. Still, we were happy. We didn't fight, we didn't argue."

"When he died?" asked Gabriella, urging him gently to continue.

"When Jeremy died in the crash, it really affected my dad more than me. Probably, I mean. But, it changed his entire demeanor. He became angry and threatening. He decided to pass over the dreams to me." He paused. "I didn't mind, but it started to become overbearing. He would pressure me to get up early every morning and we would spend the day doing nothing but basketball. He started to make me hate the sport so much," explained Troy.

Gabriella watched as he stood up and walked over to the railing, looking out at the clear sky. "You know, I have parent troubles too. Not like you, though."

"Your mom?" asked Troy, furrowing his brows. "She's perfect."

Gabriella chuckled lightly. "You'd think when you first meet her. But, she is rarely home. Even when she doesn't work, she goes out just so she won't be home. Sometimes, I worry that she won't come home at all."

"What makes you say that?" asked Troy.

"It makes me feel like she doesn't really want me. And, I wouldn't be surprised if she left. She's never had a good relationship with me. It's not rare, Troy. She tries, but she always fails," said Gabriella, shaking her head. "I have nobody that's true in my life."

Troy objected quickly, sitting next to her. He cupped her cheeks gently and smiled softly. "Gabriella, you have me. I'm true to you. I always will be."

Gabriella smiled and looked down shyly. "Troy, we haven't really discussed what we are yet. I mean, are we friends? Friends with benefits?"

"I'd like to say you're my girlfriend. And, I'm your boyfriend." He paused with a grin, leaning closer to her lips. "If you'll have me?"

Gabriella nodded, feeling elated. Her heart was pounding. He had finally said it. She was his girlfriend and he was her boyfriend. She was in a relationship with a beautiful boy with a beautiful heart. What more could she ask for?

She felt his lips land on hers and knew she couldn't ask for anything more after that.

She was in heaven.

* * *

Maria weighed her apples before placing them in the plastic bag, tying it up and placing them in her grocery cart. She walked over to the bakery, checking out the cakes and the pies. She didn't know which one to choose. What would Gabriella prefer more? She knew she should know this, but sometimes it was too hard to remember things about your own child.

"Maria?"

She turned to see Lucille carrying her grocery basket, grinning. "Lucille! How are you?"

"I'm good, I'm good. Just getting a few things for dinner tonight," she explained. "How are you? Shouldn't you be working?"

"I'm okay. And, I got off a little early today." Maria paused. "I've heard a few things about our children, you know."

Lucille laughed lightly. "I believe there are a few things going on between our kids. Troy came home earlier today soaking wet from that rain. He just had a big smile on his face, though."

"Because of my daughter?" asked Maria, slightly bewildered.

"Apparently. He didn't say a word, though. He just changed his clothes and left with the same smile. He seemed kind of flustered, though." Lucille smiled. "I really do believe that they have feelings for each other."

"I think that's good for Gabriella. To have someone she can trust? She needs that," explained Maria, though she acted distant.

Lucille looked at her strangely, wondering about her. She didn't know too much about her neighbor, only that she had a daughter and she was a widow at a young age. But, Maria didn't seem connected with her daughter. That's what seemed to bother Lucille.

But, it wasn't her business.

"Well, I better get back to shopping. I don't have much time left," said Lucille, waving. "Bye, Maria."

"Bye," murmured Maria, watching her leave. She stared at the floor and sighed, ultimately forgetting about the bakery and walking off.

* * *

Chad stood outside of Coach Bolton's door, sighing. Should he knock? Should he go in? Better question, should he even tell him what he knew? Should he tell his own coach and his worst enemy's father that he knew about his cheating? It had been eating away at him ever since he had seen it all. He couldn't keep it to himself.

He knocked quietly and opened the door. "Coach?"

Jack quickly hid his liquor bottle under his desk and looked at his player, though it was kind of blurry. He had a slight buzz from the whiskey since Troy and Gabriella had left. "Chad! What can I do for you?"

Chad could barely smell the whiskey, but he knew what his coach was hiding. He shook it off, though. "I need to talk to you."

"Sure thing," said Jack.

Chad sighed heavily. Why he was doing this, he didn't exactly know. But, he had to. "I've been keeping this to myself since I saw it, but I think you should know. You should know that...I saw you go into another woman's house."

Jack furrowed his brows. "What?"

"Yeah. From the way it looked, you're having an affair. You're cheating on your wife." Chad waited.

He expected Jack to crack under the pressure of someone knowing, but it was the complete opposite. He started laughing. "Oh, Chad. Whatever you saw was completely platonic." He paused calmly, still smiling. "That was my sister."

Chad furrowed his brows. He knew he was lying. No man would touch or interact with his sister like that. That wasn't normal. "Coach, you're lying. I know you are."

Jack suddenly grew angry, glaring at him. "What do you care? I'm the father of your enemy. You could care less about Troy and his family."

"It's your family, too. And, he may be my enemy, but nobody deserves to have this kind of stuff happen in their family. Especially when it is someone who is dedicated to our entire team," explained Chad.

"What are you going to do about it? You wouldn't tell him. You don't even like to talk to him," threatened Jack.

Chad got closer to him. "Want to bet? We may not like each other, but I wouldn't even want my enemy to get hurt. He doesn't deserve this from you. If you don't tell him, I will."

Jack watched as Chad left, slamming the door behind him. He shook his head and scoffed, grabbing his bottle of whiskey. He decided to drink away everything that had happened that day, not even needing a glass. He was drinking away straight from the bottle.

He was drinking away his whole life.

* * *

"Troy, we're kind of skipping school." Gabriella giggled as he led her to his backyard. "Isn't your mom home?"

"We're only skipping one class. And my mom is at the supermarket," explained Troy. He stopped in front of a tree. "I want to show you something."

"Me?" asked Gabriella.

"Of course." He gestured to the steps on the tree that led up to a tree house. "You go first. I'm right behind you."

Gabriella stared at the steps cautiously. "Okay." She carefully began to climb the tree's steps, making sure Troy was right behind her. When she finally reached the top step, she gasped in wonder. She was staring at the inside of a miraculous tree house with so much space, artwork from his past, and even a few toys.

She giggled, rushing over to one side. "Troy, really? A pirate's wheel?"

"I had a very active imagination when I was a child," chuckled Troy, following her.

Gabriella suddenly scurried over to another corner, gasping. "A Robo-Rob? Oh my gosh, I remember these!"

Troy began to laugh when he watched her interact with it, pressing the different buttons. He quickly grabbed it though, setting it down gently. "It's a collectible."

"Oh, sure." She giggled and looked out. "Such a view."

"Come here," said Troy, taking her hand. He led her further into the tree house and had her stand in a specific spot. He stood beside a lever and smiled. "Look up."

Gabriella looked up and watched as the awning separated, revealing the perfect blue sky and the clouds floating along. She giggled. "Wow, Troy! This is so amazing."

Troy watched her sit down, keeping her gaze on the sky. She looked so gorgeous. And, she was so smart. She was kind and funny. She was just perfect. He had no idea that someone like her would come into his life. He didn't think he deserved that much. Before her, his life was just horrible. He thought he had to keep pretending to enjoy his popularity, but there was so much more. And, she was helping him learn that.

"Gabriella?" He helped her stand up, holding both of her hands. "You know that we need to have a proper first date."

"Yes," said Gabriella, biting her lip.

Troy chuckled at her expression. "Well, there is something going on this weekend. And..." He was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He pulled it out and denied the call, sighing. "Sorry."

"It's okay," said Gabriella, smiling. "You were saying?"

"Right. Well, it's at the school this weekend and..." His phone began to ring again. He groaned and denied the call again. "Sorry. I don't know..."

"It's okay, Troy." Gabriella was suddenly getting curious. Who could be that desperate to call him?

It began to ring again and Troy shook his head, looking at the caller ID. He rolled his eyes. "Sharpay."

"Sharpay?" Gabriella frowned, letting go of his hand. "I thought you broke up with her."

"I did," said Troy, letting the phone ring.

The ringing was already getting on Gabriella's nerves. She shook her head, her doubts coming back. "You know what? Just answer it. I have to go anyway. Somewhere or something."

"Gabriella, wait." He watched as she quickly left the tree house. He sighed heavily and shook his head, answering the phone. "What?"

* * *

**Author's Note: On my website, I have put up a new blog post that I feel all of my readers should view. It is dedicated to you. xoxo**


	8. You're The One That I Want

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Summary: East High School is filled with drama, relationships, and betrayal. There's no way to escape the fear, the intensity, and the love that occurs each day. You just simply have to survive the fever._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_You're The One That I Want_

The next morning, it was raining again. It seemed to be a constant theme when Gabriella was hardly in the mood to be at school, especially when she would run into Troy. She had received numerous text messages and an infinite number of voicemails from him last night. Honestly, she didn't want to hear what he had to say. She didn't really believe that he broke up with Sharpay. And, she was definitely not going to be the other woman. If Troy wanted to have two women, then she didn't need to be around or with that kind of guy. She deserved better.

She stood at her locker, examining her face in her mirror. She put a curl behind her ear, fixing her ponytail. She adjusted her plain shirt and skinny jeans, wondering. What was wrong with her? Why didn't Troy want her and only her? Was she not pretty enough? Why didn't she belong in his world? So what if she didn't cake her face with makeup? She was Gabriella. She worked for sixteen years to be the best Gabriella that she could be. If Troy didn't like that, then he didn't deserve her.

But, she wanted him to like her.

Her locker was suddenly slammed shut, causing her to jump back. Sharpay was smirking snidely at her with her arms crossed. "Don't bother perfecting what can't be done."

"Excuse me?" asked Gabriella, furrowing her brows.

"You're not pretty," stated Sharpay.

Harsh.

"And, Troy is taking me to the dance."

That was even harsher. Gabriella stumbled over her words, surprised. "W-What dance?"

"Haven't you heard anything? The back to school dance is this weekend and Troy is taking me," said Sharpay, laughing lightly. "Not you."

Gabriella knew she shouldn't believe her, but she couldn't help it. Troy had taken a call from Sharpay yesterday. What else could have happened? If Sharpay had been rejected, then she wouldn't be this happy. It all fit. Troy and Sharpay were highly thought of at East High. They belonged in each other's world. Not Gabriella. She didn't belong anywhere.

Gabriella brushed passed Sharpay, ignoring her laughter and smirking. She wasn't going to take this anymore.

* * *

Taylor walked down the hall, rifling through her binders as she organized her papers together. She had homework to finish, a quiz to study for, and a project to start on. She barely had time last night and she couldn't let her grade slip. If she wanted to get the hell out of this city once and for all when she graduated, then she had to work hard to earn it. She felt she surely deserved it.

"Taylor."

She was stopped by Chad, of all people. She furrowed her brows. "What?"

Chad cleared his throat, straightening his collar. Why was he nervous? It was just Taylor. And, what was he even doing anyway? It was _Taylor. _"Hi."

Taylor rolled her eyes, sighing heavily. "Don't waste my time, please. I have things to do. And, don't even think about making some kind of derogatory comment against it."

Chad furrowed his brows, confused. "Why would I?"

Taylor paused. He didn't know? She shook her head of the thought and sighed. "What do you need?"

Chad decided to just go for it. He didn't have much time, anyway. "Will you go to the dance with me?"

For once, she was taken aback. She didn't think he would ask her that. Especially something like that! She stuttered incoherently, not sure what to say. So, she went with her gut. God knows why she did, though. "I'll think about it."

Chad watched her leave, not missing her slight smile. He grinned and rubbed his hands together. However, his smile dropped when he spotted Coach Bolton down the hall, talking with another teacher. Their eyes met and he glared, daring him to do something. Coach Bolton simply ignored Chad, minding his conversation with the other teacher.

Chad knew he had things to settle before things got serious with Taylor, if they ever did.

* * *

Gabriella knew he was looking at her. She could feel his gorgeous, beautiful, blue eyes staring at her while her back faced his gaze. She picked at her lunch food, not even hungry. She couldn't eat when he was looking at her. It was distracting her in more ways than one. She was angry, struck, and confused. She shouldn't still want him, but she couldn't help it. He was so much and then some.

"Gabriella, let him go." Taylor shook her head at her friend.

"I know I should. He and Sharpay belong together. I mean, they are the king and queen. Whatever," mumbled Gabriella.

Taylor sighed. "Chad asked me to the dance."

Gabriella looked at her strangely. "What? Chad Danforth?"

"I know. It's weird." She paused and shrugged. "But, he is kind of cute."

"Taylor, no. You tell me to stay away from Troy. I'm telling you to stay away from Chad," explained Gabriella.

"Gabriella."

She sighed, closing her eyes. His voice was like velvet. But, she couldn't be near him. She couldn't be with him. "Troy, go away."

Troy touched her arm. "Gabriella, please talk to me. I don't know what I did wrong."

Gabriella stood up, glaring at him and shocking him with her stare. "You don't know what you did wrong?! Troy, Sharpay is what you did wrong! You are going to the dance with her!"

"I'm what?!" exclaimed Troy. What was the world coming to?

"She told me everything. You answered her phone call yesterday and you are now taking her to the dance," said Gabriella, unaware that everybody in the cafeteria had stopped what they were doing to watch them. "How could you?"

Troy watched her leave and rushed after her. Why couldn't people just leave them alone? Especially Sharpay. "Gabriella, please wait!"

Gabriella stopped when she bumped into Coach Bolton, gasping. She stepped back. "Sorry."

"Gabriella." He paused, noticing Troy watching them cautiously. "I trust after our conversation that you have stopped speaking to Troy. Am I correct?"

She scoffed. The Bolton family was completely crazy. "Oh, don't worry. I can assure you that I will never speak to him again."

Jack watched her leave and chuckled, watching as Troy stormed away. Things were working out perfectly.

* * *

Sharpay walked out of the bathroom that afternoon, determined to head straight for the mall. She had remembered seeing a beautiful, pink dress in the shop window. She had to have it. Luckily, she had her father's credit card. Of course, he didn't know that. But, she was daddy's little girl. He would understand.

"Sharpay, stop."

She turned around and smiled, seeing Troy. "Hey, baby."

Troy stopped her hands from touching him and sighed heavily. "Enough is enough."

"What? Oh! I'm about to go to the mall to get a dress for this weekend. Pink?" asked Sharpay, clicking her tongue against her teeth.

"Sharpay, I mean it. Quit dabbling into my relationship with Gabriella. I broke up with you, okay?" Troy shook his head. "We are over."

Sharpay scoffed. "So, she is your rebound? Real nice, Troy."

"No!" exclaimed Troy. He was getting really sick of her. "Gabriella is not my rebound. She is someone that I happen to like a lot. Okay? You don't get it. I don't want you anymore. Sharpay, we are over."

"Gabriella doesn't deserve you," said Sharpay, glaring at him.

"She deserves someone who will treat her right and that someone is me. Now if you would please, quit meddling into my life. You aren't a part of it anymore," explained Troy, walking away from the blonde.

Sharpay watched him leave and sighed heavily, shaking her head. "This is far from over."

* * *

Gabriella gripped her bag close to her body, still upset over Troy and their little spat earlier. She wanted nothing to do with him. I'm sure that made his dad happy. She wanted nothing to do with the Bolton family. They were all nuts. She grumbled to herself as she walked out of the school and across the parking lot. She'd rather walk home than drive with Troy. She couldn't care less.

But then again, she did care. She still cared for Troy. He had gone through all of that effort to be with her. And then he threw away that effort when he said he would go to the dance with Sharpay. She just couldn't believe him. She should have listened to Taylor.

"Gabriella, wait!" shouted Troy, rushing after her.

Gabriella sighed, not stopping. "You have practice, Troy. Go away."

Troy managed to catch up to her, making her stop as he stood in front of her. "You have to believe me when I say that I'm not taking Sharpay to the dance." He paused. "I don't care about practice. I care about you."

Gabriella scoffed. "You sure showed it yesterday. Ring, ring. Ring, ring. Oh, is that your phone again? Sharpay?"

Troy sighed and grabbed her hands gently. "Gabriella, stop it. Why would I lie to you?"

"You lied about yourself when we first met, Troy. That mask can easily come back on," said Gabriella.

"That mask is destroyed, Gabriella. It was burned and destroyed when we kissed," said Troy, cupping her face gently. He noticed tears forming in her eyes. "Don't cry, please."

"Troy, I don't belong in your world. I don't matter," said Gabriella, letting her tears fall.

He began to wipe her tears away. "You matter to me, Gabriella. You make me a better person. I need you and you need me."

"I don't know how to fit into your world, Troy. You're popular and…"

"I don't care about that," interrupted Troy. "I care about you and only you. You are all that I need. I'll always protect you from the danger that is out there." He paused and got closer to her, nuzzling his nose to hers. "Gabriella, you're the one that I want. Nobody else."

She tried to fight her smile, but was failing big time. She watched as he edged his lips closer to hers. "What does this mean for us?"

Troy simply smiled, brushing his lips across hers. "I'm yours. You're mine. Deal?"

Gabriella let him kiss her and sighed happily, gripping his shirt. He was such an excellent kisser. His lips were so soft and inviting. She could kiss him all day and all night. This was her happy place. She didn't have to worry around him. He was right, though. They needed each other and they made each other better. She made him better. She knew that firsthand. So, she said only one word once she got a breath of air.

"Deal."


	9. Crash Into You

___I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

___Summary: East High School is filled with drama, relationships, and betrayal. There's no way to escape the fear, the intensity, and the love that occurs each day. You just simply have to survive the fever._

* * *

___Wildcat Fever_

___Crash Into You_

Gabriella looked at the school warily, believing that her heart would rip out of her chest considering it was beating so hard. She was wringing her fingers together and she was chewing on her lip. She kept fiddling with the hem of her dress and she kept stringing her curls that fell down her chest. She should have felt anxious and happy.

But, she was nervous and scared.

She was about to enter that school with Troy Bolton, her boyfriend. She was going to be holding his hand. She was going to be with him whenever they had free time at school. People would be able to see them and watch them and...whisper about them. Things were going to change big time. They were reinventing the status quo.

Troy looked over at his girlfriend, trying not to chuckle. She looked so cute, though. He touched her hands, making her stop her fiddling. "Hey, what are you so worried about?"

Gabriella looked over at him and sighed. "Troy, everybody is going to talk. They are going to lash out at us. They just won't understand."

"Then let them," said Troy, shaking his head. "I don't care what people say anymore. Not since I met you."

She smiled at the thought, remembering the long ride that got them here in under a week. It seemed like it had actually taken months. It felt like she had known him for years, though. "Troy, you have such a good soul."

He cupped her cheeks, gazing into her eyes. "And you, my Gabriella, have a beautiful heart."

She kissed his lips softly, wanting to hold on and stay in his vehicle for the entire day. She didn't want to go inside that building where they had to restrict their kisses and touching. It'd drive her crazy.

"We better go," murmured Troy, reluctantly letting the kiss go. He chuckled at her pout and kissed it before getting out and running over to her side, letting her out. "By the way, you look beautiful today."

"I do not," denied Gabriella, rolling her eyes.

Troy scoffed. "Please. You've been beautiful to me ever since I met you."

"And you have been a kiss up since I met you," teased Gabriella, smirking at him.

Troy squeezed her hand as he held it closely, grinning at her. This girl was all he could see. He passed other students and didn't even notice that they were staring. He didn't hear the whispers or the gasps. He didn't bump into them as they stopped.

He only saw Gabriella.

Gabriella found him to be such a gentleman. He held the door open for her and helped her put her things in her locker and get the correct items out for the next few classes. He made sure that she had enough pencils, paper, or erasers. He even made sure that she didn't have any embarrassing spots on her bottom when she asked, which surprised her. Most guys found a girl's time of the month embarrassing. But, Troy was adamant on making sure she was comfortable.

With a few more minutes left until the bell was going to ring, Troy decided to just be with Gabriella and talk. They were leaning against the lockers beside her next class, though Gabriella was anxious to make sure Troy wouldn't be late for his class.

"Troy, you're going to be late," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Gabriella, I'd rather be with you," he mimicked.

Gabriella giggled and rolled her eyes. "Mocking me already, huh? The honeymoon period is over."

"Not on my watch," said Troy, leaning down to kiss her.

Even though Gabriella was wanting to protest due to the PDA rule at school, she continued to kiss him.

* * *

Sharpay stood with the quarterback, completely ignoring him as he ogled her. She grimaced as she watched Troy and Gabriella flirt with each other. It was sickening. The girl was so wrong for Troy. She was a nobody. What did she have that Sharpay didn't?

"So gross. And pathetic," she commented snidely. "Am I right, Matt?"

Matt shrugged, glancing at them. "What's the big deal? Maybe they are just meant for each other."

Sharpay scoffed. "Oh, please. I'm meant for Troy. We're totally compatible."

Matt rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered why he liked her. "Okay." He was suddenly distracted when a flyer was handed out to him. He looked it over. "Sweet! Kevin is throwing a party tonight."

Sharpay grabbed the flyer from his hands, suddenly smirking. "I see. Matt, how would you like to earn your way into my bed?"

* * *

Troy looked at the flyer he had just received and nodded, looking over at Gabriella. "Hey, you interested?"

Gabriella looked at the paper and shrugged. "I don't know. I don't go to many parties."

"Oh, come on. You can count it as our first date," said Troy.

She giggled. "A party as our first date? Surrounded by drunks?"

Troy laughed and shook his head. "I get it, I get it. It doesn't have to be our first date." He paused. "But, I'll be right with you."

Gabriella sighed. Maybe one party wouldn't hurt. She is a teenager. She has so much to live for before the time comes for her to get married and start a life. She was supposed to live it up. What could happen at a high school party besides passing out from drinking too much?

"Okay, I'll go."

* * *

Taylor looked at the flyer, advertising the party in crazy fonts and images. She gripped the paper in her hands and looked away from it, shaking her head. Too much started coming back to her from the last party she had been at.

Booze...

A boy...

Kissing...

Sleeping...

Regret.

Surely, people would be too drunk to remember. Right?

* * *

The music was pounding, reverberating through the neighborhood. Red cups lined the green grass outside in the dark, coolers and kegs were inside the line, and people were mingling whether they were sober or drunk.

Gabriella tried to dodge the people as she held on to Troy's hand, continuously trying to pull her dress down. She was starting to get paranoid that other men could see her ass. She looked around, feeling lost yet she was still with Troy.

They finally arrived inside the house, heading for the kitchen. There were couples talking and other students drinking. It was amazing how easily these people could get away with illegal work. She could have sworn she had seen somebody taking marijuana in the living room.

"Gabriella, will you calm down? What are you so worked up about?" asked Troy, handing her a beer.

Gabriella took the beer and sighed. "I'm just being paranoid. I know. I feel like guys can see up my dress. I can feel my skin freezing over with the girl's stare."

"First of all, no guy will even touch you inappropriately. If they do, they will have to answer to me. And, forget about the girls. They are just jealous that they aren't as pretty as you," explained Troy, smiling and sipping his beer.

Gabriella smirked. "I thought I was beautiful." She took a sip of her beer calmly and smoothly.

Troy watched her curiously. "You are. Did you just drink without a second thought?"

"Hey, just because I don't hang out at parties much doesn't mean I don't know how to drink," said Gabriella.

Troy rolled his eyes and chuckled, leading her out of the kitchen. "Come on."

* * *

Taylor entered the house, exhaling heavily. She looked around and allowed other kids to bypass her as they went upstairs or outside to mingle. They were ignoring her. It was working. Nobody seemed to care anymore about the last party they had seen her at. They must be too drunk to remember it all.

She walked into the kitchen and had a smile on her face when a girl brushed passed her on purpose, getting close to her ear. "Slut."

That's all it took. She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, grabbing the first bottle of liquor she saw. She slugged it down as she walked away, prepared to wash away the inevitable sorrow that she continued to feel.

* * *

Matt was trying to kiss her. He was trying to earn his way into Sharpay's mind and her body. But, she was more focused on Troy. Stupid Troy. Troy and his relationship. Troy, Troy, Troy. No doubt he was friends with Troy. But, he wanted Sharpay. For some reason, of course. He didn't know why he wanted her. He just did.

Sharpay drunk from her red cup entirely, feeling the buzz hit her. She glared at Troy and Gabriella, watching them flirt and drink. Of course, they were barely drinking enough to be dizzy. Goody-goody. Gabriella was surely going to bring Troy down under. She was no good for him. He'd lose everything that he could get for his future.

"Sharpay, when are you going to give me what I want?" asked Matt, growing irritated.

Sharpay looked at him, smirking. "Soon." She looked back over at the couple, taking her last sip.

* * *

Gabriella giggled as Troy nuzzled his nose into her neck, keeping their bodies close. She loved flirting with him. She loved touching him. She loved kissing him. She just wanted to be around him all the time. He was keeping her safe, too. He hadn't left her side since they arrived. He had ignored all the other girls that were dressed in barely anything but their skin. He was paying attention to her. Gabriella.

Troy looked at her and smiled. "You're so cute."

"Now it's cute, pretty, and beautiful? Wow. I'm on a roll," she smiled.

Troy kissed her cheek softly before kissing her lips. "You're everything I could have ever wished for."

"So I wasn't a freaky new girl when you met me?" asked Gabriella, smirking.

"Definitely not. I saw you as this girl that was funny, smart, beautiful, cute, pretty..." Troy chuckled when she began laughing.

"More and more compliments," murmured Gabriella.

Troy was about to compliment her more when Matt showed up, quietly interrupting their moment. He looked at him and smiled. "Hey, man."

"Hey." He glanced at Gabriella warily. "Sorry to interrupt. I was just wondering if I could talk to Troy for a minute."

Troy looked at Gabriella. "Uh..."

Gabriella smiled. "Troy, go ahead. I'll go get us some more drinks."

"Are you sure?" asked Troy.

"It's fine, Troy. Don't be too long, though." Gabriella smirked as she walked away towards the kitchen.

Troy chuckled and looked at Matt, lightly patting him on the shoulder. "What's up, man?"

* * *

Gabriella walked into the kitchen, her intentions set on the refrigerator to get another beer. She was about to reach for the handle when a kissing couple blocked her way. They were determined to go crazy tonight.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course."

Another girl looked at her, gesturing with her red cup. "There's a cooler outside full of beer."

"Thanks," said Gabriella, quickly going outside.

* * *

Taylor stumbled outside, tossing her liquor bottle to the ground with a smash. She fiddled with the keys to her car and unlocked it, nearly falling over in the front seat. She turned on her car and sighed, shaking her head.

She hated her school. She hated the people. Her life was practically a living hell. People were so cruel. She didn't even do anything. She was just a teenager. What did people expect of her?

* * *

Gabriella opened the cooler outside and sighed, rummaging through the ice until she finally found two beer bottles. She finally located some and stood back up, her intentions being to find Troy so they can go back to their flirting. She smiled at the thought as she walked away from the cooler.

Yet, she was much farther than she had thought.

She was suddenly pushed, stumbling into the street with a cry. "Oh!"

Before she knew it, she felt what seemed like a large, moving bull crash into her side. Her body flew into the air, tumbling over and over. Her insides were practically rearranging their order in her body. Her heart was reaching her throat as all time seemed to stop.

As soon as her body fell to the ground, her entire world went black with not a sound being heard or a sight being seen.

Everybody had seen it. They had seen Gabriella's body be thrown by the incoming car into the air and roll around as if it was some weird scene in a movie. It didn't look real, but it was. She had landed directly on the ground and had stopped moving.

"911, I need an ambulance here immediately!" exclaimed someone into their phone, shaking as they stared at Gabriella's body.

Troy had immediately rushed out when he heard Gabriella's name and the word "crash" in one sentence. When he saw her body on the ground, he thought of nothing but his girlfriend. He ran over to her and sat down by her body, bringing her into his arms and his lap.

He patted her cheek softly and quickly, tears already streaming down his face. "Gabriella! Baby, wake up. Please."

Her eyes were closed. She already had a few cuts on her face and bruises around her chin. He looked her over and noticed that her foot was in a wrong position. Her kept her body covered with her dress, at least wanting her to keep her dignity.

But, she wasn't waking up.

He was worried if she ever would.


End file.
